Nineteen-year-old Louisville, Kentucky, native Ben Rhodes pilots the No. 41 Alpha Energy Solutions Toyota Tundra with ThorSport Racing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In conjunction with ThorSport Racing and Alpha Energy Solutions, has partnered with Regal Cinemas, a leading motion picture exhibitor owning and operating one of the largest theatre circuits in the United States, for the UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
"At my age, when I'm not in my Toyota Tundra, I like to spend time with my girlfriend, Caitlynn," Rhodes said. “We like to go on dates to the movies, so it's pretty neat to partner with Regal Cinemas for my track debut at Bristol. Their theatres offer you a one-of-a-kind experience. From the digital projectors to the awesome sound systems, and variety of concessions, their theatres just make you feel like you are immersed in the movies. With so many convenient locations, I feel like we can always find a theatre near us, either on the road at a race, or close to home."
The partnership is the first for Regal Cinemas – a Tennessee-based company – with a NASCAR team.
On the season, Rhodes claims two top-fives, seven top-tens and an average finish of 13.0. He sits 12th on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Chase Grid – 18 points behind his teammate Cameron Hayley on the cutoff line.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
- Next Race: UNOH 200
- The Place: Bristol Motor Speedway
- The Date: Wednesday, Aug. 17
- The Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- TV: FS1, 8 p.m. ET
- Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
- Distance: 106.6 miles (200 laps)
Sounding Off – Ben Rhodes:
You’ve had a few starts at Bristol Motor Speedway in both the Trucks and K&N Pro Series East. Is Thunder Valley a place you like to race?
“It’s so much fun. I love racing at Bristol, and it’s one of the cooler tracks that we get to go to. In the sense that you can stand in the infield and you’re looking up at the trucks. You can run all the way up by the wall, and on the bottom. It’s kind of interesting for me because we don’t experience that anywhere else but Bristol and Dover, so it’s kind of a specialized track. I’m really glad that I have the laps around Bristol that I do, in a truck. That experience taught me so much, and has prepared me for this race so much more than just running K&N. There’s a difference in tires and the way the track rubbers up. I feel really confident about this race just because I have those prior laps.”
We’re halfway through your rookie season. How would you summarize 2016 from Ben Rhodes’ seat?
“Man, I would give myself a B+. I think a B+ because there’s been about four races this year where we were in a position where we ‘coulda-shoulda-woulda’ won, some of them are my fault, other ones trying to save a truck for the next weekend, other ones just trying to do the right thing, and then another one being in the wrong place at the wrong time. So, I think a B+. I feel like there’s stuff early in the season that I could’ve done a lot better, but as we’ve gone on, I’ve corrected that, and I’ve made improvements to my driving style, and took better care of our equipment, and now it’s really turned around, especially at Gateway and Iowa. I look forward to just keeping that momentum going for the rest of the year.”
Team Information:
- Crew Chief: Kevin Bellicourt
- Manufacturer: Toyota
- Engine: Triad Racing Technologies
- 2016 Driver Point Standings: 12th
- 2016 Owner Point Standings: 13th
About Regal Entertainment Group
Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) operates one of the largest and most geographically diverse theatre circuits in the United States, consisting of 7,307 screens in 564 theatres in 42 states along with Guam, Saipan, American Samoa and the District of Columbia as of June 30, 2016. The Company operates theatres in 46 of the top 50 U.S. designated market areas. We believe that the size, reach and quality of the Company’s theatre circuit not only provide its patrons with a convenient and enjoyable movie-going experience, but is also an exceptional platform to realize economies of scale in theatre operations. For more information, visit: www.REGmovies.com.
About ThorSport Racing:
ThorSport Racing, based in a state-of-the-art 100,000-square-foot facility in Sandusky, Ohio, is the longest-tenured NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. ThorSport Racing, which has competed in the NCWTS since 1996, will run the No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra driven by two-time NCWTS drivers’ champion Matt Crafton, the No. 13 Cabinets by Hayley Toyota Tundra driven by Cameron Hayley, the No. 41 Alpha Energy Solutions Toyota Tundra driven by Ben Rhodes, and the No. 98 Safelite/CURB Records Toyota Tundra driven by Rico Abreu in 2016. To learn more visit www.ThorSport.com
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